A Hex
by jazjaz130
Summary: 10 countries are trapped by a man with a barbaric sense of humor. Can they stay sane? Better yet, can they survive? Includes: England, Switzerland, Liechtenstein,Russia, Italy, Prussia, Germany, America, Canada, and Estonia. This story is kind of a horror/mindfuck kind of thing with a teasing, complex plot.
1. Are you sure you want to do that?

**Hi! Author here. The first chapter is mostly character introduction, but there are a few points you may want to take note of, though I won't say which. It may be confusing at some point, but keep reading and you'll find all the little (and big) secrets in time. The best advice I can give you is just to pay attention to details.**

* * *

The day the curse was placed, it was a relatively normal July 28th.

It was after the world conference when ten countries decided they wanted to go to get something to eat. It seemed every restaurant in town, however, was closed. Even McDonalds was closed, to America's horror. They resorted to going to the shadiest, eeriest place in town for a bite to eat. It was a run-down shack. That should have been the first sign something was wrong. All the countries, even Russia, seemed a bit irked about being there. Upon seeing the door, all the nations stopped in their tracks.

On the door, the letters "XXn't toXcX thX sXXXeXwXre." were etched in obvious haste. Some of the letters were messily obscured, so nobody could make out what they even said, try as they might. That should have been the second sign something was wrong.

"D-doooitsuuu! I don't want to go in there!" Italy clung to Germany's shirt. Germany simply clenched his teeth.

"C'mon guys, don't be a bunch of fraidy-cats!" said America nervously. The way his teeth chattered betrayed the meaning of his words.

"The awesome Prussia is never scared!" shouted Prussia, as a cold wind blew past. Everyone shivered, and then the door they stood in front of swung open, even though no country touched it. That should have been the third sign something was wrong.

"Greetings, my children." They were greeted by an old man, easily in his early 90s. The man was wearing a black suit. The sagging of his face was extreme, almost as if it had been pulled for months on end. The only thing that overshadowed his face, was his lack of body fat. It looked as if he hadn't eaten in weeks, months. A feeling of dread pulled on the pit of their stomachs. That should have been the forth sign something was wrong.

England was the first to speak after a few moments of absolute silence "W-well, we won't bother you. We were just walking around."

"No, no, my children, I insist on feeding a few lost souls. You look so hungry, so come in. Come in." replied the man, with a smile that looked so big, it was almost insincere. He herded the countries into the tiny hut. They sat at a table. It was white, long, and rectangular. There were ten chairs: a plate, a spoon, a fork, a butter knife, napkin neatly placed for each seat. Each was pure, clean white. How coincidental. That should have been the fifth sign something was wrong. But nobody noticed this "coincidence", seeing as they were all so skittish. Each person sat at a chair.

"Now, what would my children like to eat? I can make anything for you." Everyone exchanged horrified looks and said their respective order.

"H-h-ham w-with gravy, please." said Estonia.

"A hamburger for the hero, sir!" grinned America, teeth still chattering made it clear that he was watching his tongue.

"I'll have Raclette for myself, and Hafalab for the girl, please." Said Switzerland stiffly, gesturing to Liechtenstein next to him.

"Might you have scones? If so, I ll be grateful for those" England murmured. He was staring at his feet, having avoided eye contact with the man from the start.

"P-pasta, mister." Italy whimpered. Usually Italy was much more vocal about his love for pasta, but the setting was getting to him. Everyone, really.  
"Wurst for the awesome me and Wes-my brother." Prussia said plainly.

"I-I-If you don t mind I d want baco-ham with maple syrup, please and t-thank you very much." said Canada, when the old man looked at him expectantly. Canada would have actually liked to, for once, be invisible, in this case.

"May I have Kotlety?" Russia asked.

The old man bowed, grin still in place, and left through the door. It was silent; nobody dared to speak a word, as if the slightest noise would make something horrible happen. In less than 5 minutes, the old man appeared again, with each country's dish. That should have been the sixth sign something was wrong. He gently set the food on the respective country s dish.

Estonia looked around for his silverware. He saw the pearly white silverware, and leaned forward to pick up the spoon. The door from earlier flashed though his mind in a white-hot way. He paused. It seemed each country had a similar experience, when reaching his/her needed objects: Napkin, spoon, fork, knife. Everyone was frozen in the memory for a second.

"Something wrong, children?" Suddenly, Gilbird, previously resting on Prussia's head began chirping wildly. This snapped everyone out of their trance.

"No-no not at looks jolly good." stuttered England unconvincingly, still not daring to touching his meal. "I will my children right, please do not be nervous." Everyone, still nervous, began to eat anyway. When they did pick up their items, they felt cold. As if pieces of their souls had been viciously plucked out. It was a kind of emptiness that made people want to die, purely to avoid living such a empty, hollow life. A mental duct tape kept anyone from thinking about it. Somehow, it was hard to focus on the mysterious feeling that consumed them, no matter how hard they tried. All the attention in the room was instead directed to their food. When they had eaten their meals, which were absolutely delicious, they felt blurred, confused. The old man had watched them eat their meals with that same grin, unmoving.

"You ve treated us to such a lovely meal. What is your name, mister?" asked Liechtenstein, with less reserve than she probably would have shown before eating.

"My name?" The old man's grin grew impossibly larger. At the sight of the grin, everyone grew unnerved, even with their clouded minds. My name, my innocent children, is Xeh. You must wonder what that means, yes? Every head at the table nodded automatically,hearts racing in panic. It was like they were puppets.

"It means-" And that was all they remembered before it was dark.

* * *

Hi everyone! I hope you enjoyed the first installment of my (hopefully long-running) story! Leave a review telling me how you liked it! I'll include deds to it in chapter 2! I would be very grateful if you did! Thanks for reading!


	2. Waking up is a pain in the ass

A Hex Chapter 2

_A lone boy sits staring at his window. If only he could go out. But he can't do that, can he? He has work to do._

Floating in-between several states of consciousness is a harrowing task. As hard as you may try, it seems like you can't think. You may even be aware of this state for a while, but the information will simply fade away, along with all your other thoughts.

The longer you stay in this plane, the longer your dreams are. If you happen to awaken, is a bright, glaring light better than your fantasy? Fantasy is so much more gentle. Can you really blame a person for not even trying to shake their phantasmagoric chains? Wait…these shackles aren't fake. They're real. Very real. _Right?_

It had been weeks they had spent here. Not together, of course. In separate cells, they were tied to the walls. Don't worry, they weren't afraid. No, they were only confused. It was so hard to focus. The cells were a bit chilly, empty, gray. The shackles weren't horrible, they were just there. The room was dimly lit by a light overheard. But it seemed the spell was wearing thin on some.

Liechtenstein stared at the wall. How long had she been here? All of her instincts made her want to struggle and scream, but she ignored the thoughts. Somehow, it seemed that would only lead to more trouble. Even though the cell was empty, it seemed as if she was being watched. Monitored. This why she resumed her act of confusion. If she was really being watched, they would want her to be subdued, right? Something told her she shouldn't be able to think, but she was. Everything was crystal-clear. It was a very slow event, to snap out of the trance. She felt more aware every second. There was a dull pain in her fingers that grew as she awoke. The tips of each fingers now felt as if there were needles in them.

She couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing. There was something she couldn't recall. How had she gotten here again? She had gone to her summer home, and as she got out of the taxi, a hand clamped over her mouth and she fell. That was what she had accepted at first. But as the days passed, distrust grew over the story. _Is that really what happened?_

She wished she could do something. It felt as if leaving her to her own dull thoughts was the worst form of torture possible. She was wrong.

It had been about 17 days of being aware, when she had grown impatient. She was going to make a move, but nothing too reckless. She couldn't risk them getting angry at her. She was at her captor's disposal and mercy.

"He-hello? Is anyone there?" She spoke quietly, with a scared look on her face. Her voice was raspy, as she hadn't spoken since she got there. She wanted to appear as meek and sweet as possible. Lily deduced that this would allow the most mercy from her captors. There was no answer. About 2 hours passed, and a voice was heard.

"Hello. I am here." A monotone voice sounded. Lily shivered even though the voice wasn't particularly threatening.

"Can you tell me where I am, please?" Lily responded.

"You are in my home. Are enjoying your stay?" This wasn't getting her anywhere, but she couldn't do anything else but try to be a polite as possible.

"Well, I'm really scared and I just want t—" She was cut off by the voice.

"You are not enjoying your stay? Why?"

Lily still couldn't figure _where_ the voice was coming from.

"How did I get here?"

"I ASKED YOU A QUESTION. NOW YOU HAVE TO ANSWER." Suddenly, there was pain. Searing pain tore through her bloodstream and she let out a choked screech. It was is every single cell in her body had been set on fire. "YOU ARE GOING TO ANSWER NOW." The pain stopped just stopped as suddenly as it came. Lily was still panting and tears dropped down her face. She genuinely thought she was going to die during those long, agonizing seconds.

"I….don't know. I guess I-" Lily was once again interrupted by the voice.

"I ASKED WHY."

"BECAUSE I CAN'T LEAVE" Lily shouted. She instantly regretted shouting back. No was sound for some time. "I'm…I'm sorry I yelled…Can you let me go?"

"NO." The pain returned. Yet again, the pain ravaged her insides, and her screams grew quieter and quieter as she lost consciousness.

While she was unconscious, she dreamt. In this dream, Lily was dancing. It seemed like a very happy dance, until she tripped. It seemed she had tripped on a fork. She picked up the fork, curious as to how a fork had gotten in the middle of such a beautiful field. As she made contact with the fork, it felt as though dancing was now the saddest thing in the world. How could something so jovial become so vial and disgusting? She didn't know why. It just was.

Lily woke in shock, now in a glaring white room. Being in such a clean or pure room made her feel dirty. She looked around, then looked at herself. She was no longer chained, though there were deep impressions on her wrists and ankles where she had been bound. Lily was dressed in a simplistic white dress. She tried to get up, but fell when she realized the weakness in her legs. This was better, but she was still trapped. How long would this "game" last? How would it end? _Would she meet the end of her life here?_

Lily tried to get up again. Her frail legs lifted her slowly. Because she was a country, she didn't **need **food or water to survive, but she could die from physical trauma.

"Excuse me. I have your friends to deal with." The voice told her with a deadly monotone.

Upon hearing the mysterious man's words Lily crumpled to the floor and her breath caught in her throat.

"...What?

Who is here? Please...please not...No...Bruder...God...No..." Lily whispered. "DON'T HURT HIM, PLEASE. DON'T HURT A-ANYONE!" She curled into a ball. She grabbed her hair with shaky hands. "Nonononono. This can't be happening. They can't have bruder. The man was just trying to mess with her. Yes, that's it. She was here alone.

No matter how many things she tried to console herself with the lies, she knew others were here too.

About 30 minutes later, when her sobs had stopped and her throat was raw, the voice returned.

"You love your brother, don't you?" Liechtenstein looked at the cruelly bright ceiling. She made no attempt to respond.

"DON'T YOU?" The pain returned again, so she tried to nod while her small body shook with fraying nerves. The pain stopped yet again.

"I thought so. Do you want him to live?" Lily nodded again, with as much energy as she could manage with her weak form.

"Then if you want him to survive, I have a task for you..."

* * *

The last part had no reviews, but the offer still stands! I hope you enjoyed this installment of my story! I like this part of the story better than the last, but that's just me. Please review and I'll give you deds. I hope it's good! Stay tuned!


	3. Anger is a dangerous headbutt

_Loose tears flow gently down the face. "Okay." _

Each country had slowly regained their thoughts. But as their mouths were covered , with some type of invisible tape, they were unable to say anything. _The "tape" wasn't even there. There was nothing to feel._

No matter how hard he tried, Switzerland could not form words. How are you supposed to commit an action when you can't even remember what it was? Speech was now something beyond him. As he regained his ability to focus, some things were still lost. Mainly, why was he here? Wasn't someone…with…him? Someone….special…. _The tape was a nasty, nonexistent little thing, wasn't it?_

Though his limbs were tied, he was not going to let himself be helpless. Firstly, he had to regain feeling. Wiggling his fingers was at first hard, but had grown to become more simple, natural. Hours passed and he tried his toes, his knees, his elbows. When he felt confident, he decided to devote his total strength towards struggle.

Taking a breath, Switzerland tensed. With every muscle he could use in his body, he pulled against his restraints. After about 2 seconds of extensive effort, he fell back in exhaustion. **Damn it.** He tried to do this for several minutes. Each time, there was no give-in from his restraints. **FUCK.** Maybe this was pointless. _All of it. _No. He mustn't give up. If he gave up, there would be nothing at all worth living for. _Nothing at all. _He clenched his teeth, ready for another attempt.

"There's no need for that." A voice interrupted the would-be struggle Switzerland was ready to start.

Suddenly, the ability to speak had once again found it's way back to Switzerland's head.

"**WHO THE HELL ARE YOU? LET ME OUT OF THIS, BASTARD! IS THIS SOME KIND OF JOKE?" **He bellowed, accidentally biting his tongue in the process. A small spurt of blood came from the self-inflicted cut on his tongue, but he didn't care. That wasn't even a small speck on his radar of importance at that point.

"You'll meet with me and your friends soon enough, so please be patient, child." That goddamn bastard. Speaking so highly of himself. Hold on. His…friends? There were others in this confinement? Switzerland hadn't even thought of anyone else in his futile struggle. Faces flashed though his mind; Austria, Spain, so many others countries….and one girl.

Switzerland's eyes widened. Lily. His beloved little sister. His delicate, sweet, loving sister. For a single moment, his mind went blank. Then white-hot rage enveloped his mind. Every fiber of his being shivered in innumerable flames of fury alighting his body.

"**MY SISTER BETTER NOT BE HERE, YOU DEMENTED FUCKER!" **Switzerland's entire purpose at that point was screaming. Nothing else. Anyone who heard the cries would have shivered. They sounded almost…painful. Agony wasn't even beginning to describe the horror those wails uttered.

Several minutes passed, and the adrenaline wore off. His throat had grown raw a long time ago, and now was failing him. He could only make dry whispers. A small hint of rationality came back after it's reprieve, and he felt pain. He hadn't even realized he had been slamming his head against the concrete in his fit. The realization of his pain was succeeded by a wave of dizziness. Because of his outburst, he felt awful. But again, that barely make a ping on his importance radar. What was happening to Lily? Was she okay? _Was she even alive? _The last thought echoed in his mind, and that was what scared him the most. He pushed the morbid thought from his mind.

Another wave of dizziness overcame him. But this wave was caused rather by the chains around his wrists disappearing, and his body falling to the floor. Crumpled on the floor, Switzerland examined himself. Other than being exhausted and nauseated, he was fine. He was wearing a white tee shirt and a pair of white pants. He looked behind him, hoping to use his shackles as a tool, but was disappointed to find nothing. They had disappeared. _Were they even there in the first place?_

He fought an overwhelming urge to fall asleep, as he couldn't move that much in his tire. A walk around his cell might wake him up. Upon trying to lift himself off the ground, Switzerland was surprised by how weak he felt. It was as if he was at least 3 times heavier.

"If you close your eyes for me, I'll let you see your friends." The voice once again sounded.

Switzerland was infuriated by the notion of obeying this man. However, as strong-spirited as he was, he had no ability to argue, so fatigue overcame him.

* * *

"..ake…p..Wake up.." Switzerland was annoyed. Not only was this person talking, it was shaking him too! How's a guy supposed to get some sleep? He was tired and now he was being woken up? Why was he so tired again? **Oh! **His eyes flew open, and his torso shot up simultaneously, head-butting England.

"You! When did you get here?" Switzerland's voice was still scratchy, it seemed. England backed off, rubbing his forehead.

"I…don't….know…" England stuttered. "I was…there….and I got here….and you were next to me…and you weren't waking up!" He was clearly disoriented, judging from the inconsistencies in his usually flawless speech. Switzerland looked around the area. It was a plain white room, bigger than the previous concrete cell. Somehow, he liked the cell better than this area; it just seemed more ominous in this _big white room._

Switzerland looked at England, who was staring him. Neither country seemed exactly aware of how they had gotten there. They were wearing the same clothing.

England explained to Switzerland that he had woken up in a cell and was told he would see his friends soon as well. Though not as rebellious as Switzerland, he was just as confused. They decided to look around the room. Not a thing was there. Every corner and wall was examined, but nothing gave evidence to some type of escape.

"Hope you enjoy your next playmate, children." Both countries froze, as a door they had been sure wasn't there before, opened.

* * *

Hello! I hope you've enjoyed this chapter! Sorry if it got less...tense at the very end. Writing the sleepy part was so hard! I was falling asleep! So I took a nap and wrote the end. That might be why it's kinda short. IDK. But what I do know is that I have to give a dedication to my first (and currently only ;.;) reviewer **the Queen of Cookies! **Thanks so much! You know the rule. if you give me a review, you get a dedication! See you soon!


	4. Teasing the powerless

A Hex Chapter 4

_The public is a tough crowd. After all he's been through, you'd think talking with others would be a piece of cake. _

Her soft peach skin was blotched by the stains of the tears that she so obviously had shed in bulk. Switzerland ran to his sister, and she ran to him. Her breath was ragged. His arms wrapped around her and it felt as though she was safe. He was so warm. She would be content here forever. **He** wasn't going to let her do that, though. _That's what she'd agreed to. This was the only place…_

Switzerland examined his sister for injuries. She had the same marks on her wrists he did. Proof she had been chained. Imprisoned. He clenched his teeth. How _dare _they hurt her? Switzerland's face contorted with anger, then opened his mouth to curse out their captor, but Lily's hand clamped over his mouth. He looked at her. There was a trace of that begging look that she had rarely let loose when she wanted him to be quiet, mixed with a look of absolute horror. He closed his mouth; he knew enough to trust her judgment, as she wasn't a dull girl. Instead, he hugged her. This way, he could keep her from hurt, pain. There was no need for words, they could talk later.

England smiled. The scene was heartwarming; a sweet girl clinging to her brother in absolute trust, who would obviously do anything to protect her from all harm that came her way. It seemed as if nothing could ruin this.

That was, until the voice rang once again.

"That's nice." The voice shattered the pleasant silence. Everyone stiffened. Switzerland's arms tightened around his sister. Was it a display of power? To just show you're there? To remind them they're still trapped? Powerless? It must be nothing more than to play with their heads. Keep them on their toes. That was it.

"I'll tell you what. You're all going to work for me. You're my slaves."

"Why the fuck would we do that? We're going to escape from this shit hole, and have you sent to a psyche ward!" Switzerland shouted at the ceiling, though they still couldn't tell where the voice was coming from. There was no response for about a second, before a loud, obnoxious laugh poured through the room.

"W-what do you think you're doing here? Of course you're going to be my slave!" The voice rasped out. It was a very funny question. The captor seemed to be having a hard time breathing, seeing as he was laughing too hard.

"England, be a dear, and please slap little Switzy for me!" England froze. The siblings looked to England. He had this blank look on his face. There was nothing in his eyes; the green orbs had absolutely no depth or emotion. _It was like he was somewhere else._

"DO IT! YOU HEARD ME, SLAVE." The laughing ceased. England stood up. He walked over to Switzerland with robotic, inhuman movements. Switzerland looked to England. Surely he wasn't actually complying, was he?

A hard backhand made contact with Switzerland's cheek.

"AGAIN!" Again, the hand sped across Switzerland's face. It left a red mark where England's fingers had punished.

"What are you doing, England!" Switzerland barked. The slaps hurt, but they were nothing compared to the aching of his limbs before his sleep.

**"AGAIN! AGAIN!"** The voice was practically squealing in joy now. _It seemed to be enthralled with the prospect of causing pain._ England fell to the floor. He was moaning.

**"No. no. no. no. PLEASE DON'T!"** England was freely twitching now. He didn't seem to be logically thinking, seeing as he was shouting at nothing. He was seeing something else. An illusion?** "Please stop it! AMERICA! STOP HURTING HIM!"**

The laughing started again. Hearing the laughing and England's hysteria made shivers crawl up Switzerland's spine. It seemed every time they heard that fucked-up laugh, someone was suffering. England had stopped screaming, but he was now bludgering the ground with his bare fist. He seemed so terrified.

**"I've got to get out, I've got to save him!"** England ran to the nearest wall and started clawing at it. His blunt nails didn't leave a single scratch on the plain white wall. His eyes darted around the room, looking for some type of escape. **Any **kind of escape.

"Bruder, can you please let go of me? You're squeezing me too tight…" Lily eased herself out of Switzerland's arms, which he had unknowingly tightened. She delicately padded over to England, who had collapsed at that point. Switzerland reached out to stop her; as England was possibly very dangerous, but stopped, seeing the determination in Lily's eyes. Lily gently stroked England's face. Running her pale fingers through his hair, she began to hum a little tune. England began to relax, his muscles slowly unconstricting. Good thing too, considering Switzerland was thinking of bringing him back to sense with a slap of his own. England's eyes opened, and he looked up to Lily. He stared at her for a moment before seeming to understand the situation.

"Excuse my behavior. That was something an English gentleman should never do…I just saw something…I guess that can't be true…" England stood up and looked Switzerland in the eye.

"I deeply apologize for attacking you…I don't know what came over me." His breathing was returning to normal, but his pupils were still massive.

"It's fine…you weren't yourself…but why? What were you seeing?" Switzerland just wanted to know what was going on at this point. England paused, then let out a long sigh. His cheeks tinted pink, quickly turning to a dark shade of red. He seemed embarrassed by his own actions.

"Something bad." Switzerland felt a tinge of irritation. How could he fix it if England was too much of a wimp to spit it out? Lily grabbed Switzerland's hand. He got the message. Back off. Lily would keep him in check with all that emotional crap he didn't understand, and he was grateful for that. Lily was always the type to know when people were suffering, not him._ He never had a clue when someone was suffering._

"Like I said earlier, before I was so **rudely** interrupted, you are going to be my slaves." Everyone held their tongues, attempting to avoid another incident.

"What do we have to do?" England clenched his jaw tightly, hoping for something less terrible than what he was thinking. If they'd really done what he'd seen in the vision…No. He wasn't going to let himself think about that again._ It really would just be better to put the incident out of his mind. Forever._

* * *

Oh wow. This took FOREVER to write. I really got stuck toward the end.

Current dedication page to my reviewer:

**the Queen of Cookies**

I really want to make this dedication page bigger. ;.; I guess I have to earn it, really. Oh well. Review, favorite, ect. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	5. Cleanup on Aisle Pain

Before reading this chapter, I recommend that you read the Hetalia mochi strips, so that you understand one bit in the story.

* * *

A HEX Chapter 5

_The boy sees the girl. Luscious black hair and emerald eyes that made him feel as if there was no safer place in the world. She's so accepting of him. So kind. She takes his breath away._

It had been awhile, yet he was still alone in the cell. He had lost his restraints hours ago, but there was no more progress from that. It was a pure white room. The size of the room intimidated him, because he was here alone. The situation irked Estonia deeply.

Though he had examined every nook and cranny specifically, there was nothing seeming hollow or weak. He rubbed his wrists. He could still feel the chains that bound them. _They weren't there. Just an illusion._

* * *

_19 hours earlier-_ So he had been bound to the wall, in an "X" position. He had no ability to gauge time, so his estimate of it was probably way off. He could've been there for hours or years. Quite frankly, he was bored. He had tried made small talk with the wall, but the thing is that walls don't really talk back. A one-sided conversation was only _so _fun. Especially when the speaker was Estonia. Estonia was already so awkward that, even if an inanimate object **could** talk, it would choose not to.

Then, all of a sudden, he was released. He stayed face-down for a few seconds before stretching. There was still nothing other than that, except the fact that he was now in a white room. Was he really so bad at conversation that the other walls kicked him out? He smiled at his own joke, despite the situation.

He tried to think about the mochis to occupy his time, as he tottered around the room. Would they be okey without him? He pressed his palm to his forehead in shame and mentally rebuked himself at the mention of the word "okey". That American-mochi must be getting to him. It's clueless, yet hilarious face flashed through his mind.

One time, it decided to take a surprise bath in the English-mochi's tea. The English-mochi's **scalding hot** tea. Poor thing hadn't gone near cups since.

He hoped they would be fine without him. As odd as the mochis were, he cared for the peculiar creatures deeply.

He tapped the walls with his fists to see if there was an off sound or **something **that indicated an escape route. As thorough as he was, there were no flaws in the interior of the room. But that was impossible, right? He had gotten here somehow. How had he gotten in? The ceiling showed no signs of being "opened". He couldn't touch them, so maybe one of them was hollow? But that wasn't useful to him if he couldn't get up to them. So all he could do was sit, wait, and keep his thoughts as calm as possible. If there was one thing Estonia prided himself on, it was his own patience.

Hours passed. He stretched. More hours crept by. Still nothing, in terms of change. He allowed himself to dissect his thoughts. It started with a simple question; how did he get here? He started with the most recent thing that he could remember.

_On a plane._ Wait. Where was the plane going to? Why was he on a plane? Wasn't he going to a beach with Latvia? A stress free weekend of fun. _No, he wasn't. He was flying to the world conference, right?_ Yeah. He was almost certain he was going to the worl-His thoughts were cut off by a rush of magnificent pain.

* * *

America laid on the floor. Once a pure white floor, now soiled by his blood. His eyes dully scanned over the puddles that surrounded him. He wasn't thinking anything for a while, really. The pain had long since calmed, seeing as the nerve endings in his right arm were no longer able to send messages anymore. They were useless, being so destroyed and overused. Before he entered his comatose state, he remembered hoping that he would be able to use his arm again if he ever got out.

The injury in his right arm bled profusely. It stretched from his shoulder to his mid forearm. It had torn apart. Some of the muscles had even gotten even gotten out of his flesh, and were no longer even part of the body. They had just been ripped out. One muscle had been thrown onto his face, where it still rested. It was like he had been dissected, but in a much more messy way. The rest of his body ached from the whipping. Though the whipping didn't last as long, the lashings were long and deep. The cuts had swelled and bruised from the cruelty.

America just kind of laid there. He was splayed out, limbs pointing in awkward positions, but he made no attempt to be more comfortable. He didn't have the strength nor the concentration power to do so. His head whirled from the recent events. He didn't try to recount them. He honestly tried to ignore them. Who would willingly submit themselves to that mental hell? Wasn't it bad enough without those images? _But they happened, and you can't ignore it._

He hadn't even been allowed to fall unconscious during the torture. He had been trapped in his own body. There was no reprieve to his hell. He was utterly helpless to his agony. There was nothing worse than this torment. _But there was._

* * *

A wave of pain overcame Estonia.

"I do ask you to stop overthinking things, child." A voice, vaguely familiar sounded from somewhere. Estonia's limbs shook violently in response. "If you stop thinking about those naughty things, I'll stop making it hurt." In desperation, Estonia nodded and made a choking noise. "Good boy." And with that, the voice and the pain were gone. _All in your head, you arrogant little bastard. _

He took a moment to recollect himself, though he still shook slightly. He examined himself, but was surprised to find there were no signs of injury. No injuries that weren't already there. What made him feel like that? Then he remembered what had just happened. It would be best not to think about those things if this person could hear his thoughts.

* * *

America could feel his heart pounding in his chest. It was under a terrible amount stress, poor thing. America was strong. He would heal, right? He was a country, a hero. Nothing bad could happen to the hero.

While it was true countries healed well, they were not invincible. They had a limit. Had America been too far? Probably not. Or at least that's what he liked to think.

* * *

How was it? I hope it was good! Look forward to my next installment! Baby's first gore :| I hope that part wasn't too badly written.

Current Reviewer(s): **the Queen of Cookies**


	6. Tortured candy bar

A Hex Chapter 6

_It's a raining evening, yet it's anything but sad. She comes back from the kitchen, with two cups in her hands. He takes one and sips the hot beverage. She makes it exactly like how he likes it. He smiles and hugs her tighter. _

Lily laid on her back and stared at the plain ceiling. At the moment, master had no tasks for them, so they were just stuck there. Doing nothing. Still, it could be worse. _Just wait, it will be. _England was twiddling with his thumbs. Literally. She was pretty sure he was playing thumb-war with himself. Lately england seemed more nervous. Switzerland had tried asking him about the "vision" but England got an odd expression and ignored him. She glanced over to her brother. He sat there, hands on his head, elbows on his knees. He didn't move at all. To an unobservant onlooker, he might have looked angry, but Lily could see it was concentration. She sighed. No matter the amount of thought he put into it, there was never any fruits to his labors. _Would there ever be?_

Master's teasing voice rang out from an untraceable point. "Liechtenstein, dear, it's time for your appointment." Lily's heart dropped into her stomach. Was it already time for **that?** Time was a cruel thing, yes indeed. _Just like Master. _ Yet there was no change in her expression as she headed to the appearing door. She willed that her dread had no effect on her body language. She wouldn't want Bruder to worry. It was like this every time she had an "appointment."

Switzerland's eyes shot over to Lily. His state of focus was broken. His teeth clenched and his form stiffened. His muscles turned to rigid bits of meat. He stood up and walked over to her. He had to be quick, that Bastard was waiting for her, though for what, he did not know. _Lily wouldn't want to worry her brother, would she?_

"I love you, Liechtenstein." Switzerland said softly to her. Such a kind brother he was. Lily hugged him and opened the door, hands slightly quivering in a feeling of intense dread.

* * *

He sat there, just taking it. Well, not really. He was panicking, but he couldn't move. He was petrified. He could feel his twin's pain coming off in waves. America must really be suffering. Though Canada could not tell how or why, he knew America was being...tortured. Was America in a similar situation to himself? Was America trapped like Canada? _Was he okay?_

Though an annoying sibling to Canada, America was his brother. His silly, loud, pain-in-the-ass brother. His brother was strong; who could manage to cause America this much pain? **Why wasn't there anything he could do? **

"Oh, there's something you can do to help him. To stop the cruelty." The voice made him jump. Canada curled into a ball. Was he imagining things now? Or was it real?

"W-What can I do to help my brother?" Canada replied to it. It was a miracle to be heard, considering how quiet he was. _No, it's a curse. _

"Wellllllllll," The voice drew out the word. Almost as if tempting him. No, it was baiting him. "I think we can spare your **darling **brother from some pain, if you help me with something. Think of it as a trade, of sorts.. " A vicious tremor went through Canada's body. Things could only get worse from here.

* * *

She tapped down the white hall. It was the same as the room, pure white, really nothing of interest. But it was ridiculously long. It felt like walking down those halls, she was a prisoner being given the death sentence. To be honest, she wasn't far off.

When she arrived at the end of the hall, the door was open. As per usual, she entered. As always, it had been cleaned of her blood, and was yet again pure white. Just like everything else. She picked up the lingerie, pure white. It had been washed, and was now white again. She took off her dress and put on the lingerie. She did not like wearing lingerie, but she had no choice. _It's only to demean you._

She walked over to the middle of the room and stood there for about 15 minutes. Lily wished that she could just get it over with. She knew Master made her wait on purpose. To make her wait, exposed, and anxious, was just one of Master's games.

"Well, look who's ravishing today."

Master entered the room. She continued to stare at the wall. Master did not like to be looked at, so she didn't, unless she was told. He got out the ropes from the ceiling, which had lowered at his command and straightened them out. He tied the first rope around her left wrist, and a second around her right. She could feel his wrinkled fingers working at tying the knots as tightly as possible without causing a restriction of blood. He wanted her to feel everything.

Master left the room, and Lily was lifted up from the ropes. She was no longer able to touch the ground. Master reentered the room, and Lily stared at the walls intensely. He tied her ankles. Now every limb she had was pointing a different direction, spread out. Master seemed to prefer this position. She began quivering; she knew what the "X" position meant. Now she could only wait until the torture began.

* * *

Canada had accepted the man's offer. Whatever he could do to lessen the stress on his brother's body would be what he would do. But still, he hated it. Would this really be the best way to do it?

* * *

Master pulled out his whip. Lily was now breathing in slight pants, while trembling. She was getting used to the anxiety, yet felt she would never be prepared. Even after nine sessions, knowing she couldn't stop it still make her insides want to turn inside out. Master licked his whip, savoring every single moment of her fear. He had different methods each time, so she never knew exactly what to expect.

Suddenly, he stuck out the hand without the whip and grabbed her ear. She flinched back, face scrunched up. She expected a rough slap, but he only held her ear. His face got closer to her own, and he whispered to her pulled ear,

"What do you call an ugly little bitch with two toes broken?" She let the sentence flow through her mind before realizing exactly what it meant, and then shuddered.

"Liechtenstein, master." She answered. Her toes…oh no…Lily's heart now pounded at an unsafe rhythm.

"Correct, child."

After that, he said nothing for a long while. Though perhaps it could've been only 3 minutes or so. Who knows? He released her ear. She was not crying. _Yet._

Master picked up his whip, and twirled the cruel object around. Lily watched his whip as it spun in a circle. **CRACK. **He brought the whip down on the soft flesh of her back. A sharp cry from her mouth imitated the sharp cut on her back. It stretched long, from her right shoulder to her left lower back. The cut was probably a little less than a centimeter deep. Blood welled from the cut, slowly at first. Drip…drip…drip…the red liquid desperately tried to close the abrasion. **CRACK**. The whip once again sounded and slashed directly down her spine. Tears began to fall down her face. Plip…Drip…Drip…plip…It was a sickening melody of torture. Plip….Drip….Drip…..Drip….Plip. Her head slumped down.

Master grabbed her chin gently and lifted her face up. "Please don't take it personally, I just hate your kind, and I must keep my children **in line.**" He began to giggle a bit and bent down. Lily knew that he stared at her feet intently, though she tried not to look at. It would just make him mad, and she did not want to be "punished" more. He clutched her left foot, and began to chant a song. Usually this song was jovial, but now it was full of malice and was meant to provoke.

"_This little piggy went to the market," _He toyed with the smallest toe. Lily's teeth chattered and the tears slowly continued. Master was very cruel indeed.

"_This little piggy stayed home."_ He touched the toe next to it. Lily knew exactly how this nursery rhyme went.

"_This little piggy had roast beef." _Her middle toe. Lily anticipated the pain; she knew it was coming.

"_This little piggy had none."_ The second biggest toe now. Still, knowing what was coming didn't make it any less horrible. If anything, the waiting was worse.

"_And this little piggy went,"_ Here it comes. "**WEE"** Master gripped her biggest toe firmly. **"WEE" **He abruptly twisted the toe with as much force as a tiger would. **"WEE"** He ranked the toe and it's nail fell off. Lily wailed in agony and her horribly scarred back arched. The bleeding of the whip injuries rapidly increased. Her body was racked in vicious convulsions. Tears now openly stained her paling face. She began to hyperventilate.

Breaths came out

Briskly

And

Full

Of

Panic.

Before she could settle down, Master reached for her next foot, and without delay yanked on her next big toe. At that point, her mind was in pandemonium. As soon as a hint of rationality appeared, it was quickly rushed away by a new wave of distress. The cuts were throbbing, blood now gushing from the marred ends of skin. The muscle was now frayed. She tried to focus, but a lack of blood made things blurry. It was playing a videogame with massive lag. Except it was real. Way too real. Maybe was a dream. _But it wasn't, that's the "fun"._

Lily's toes were now an ugly shade of purple; a large contrast to her nearly paper-white face. The steady flow of blood from her back had formed a crimson puddle underneath her form. The tears burned her skin like an acid.

Master left the room and Lily's restraints came off. She landed in the puddle of her blood, physically unable to move. He came back into the room with a fork. At the sight of the fork, Lily's felt as if angel had kissed her on the nose; Master was usually took more time with the appointment. Master dropped the fork to the floor and Lily winced in pain. She curled into a fetus shape out of reflex. He walked over to her with steel-toed boots. Each step he took was heavily emphasized by the stomp of his shoes. She stared dimly at the wall. The torture…wasn't it over yet? He laughed again. _He couldn't leave without a little spice, could he? _Master's boot shoved it's way into her ribs. She couldn't breathe. There was a revolting crack. A rib had given way and was broken. The boot came off her abdomen and she could breathe again. Mostly.

He picked up the fork and tossed it near her. She claimed it with shaking fingers. Then she cradled it like it was her lifeline. _It was._ This was a miracle. The lacerations, bruises, broken bones were all gone. Sweet relief, at last. The tears ceased and the pain went away. All that was left was a slight ache in her limbs. Her mind cleared of any muddiness. Her body cleared of any and all blood. _Yet, the splatter of her cells was still staining the floor. _Then she pulled the fork away from her heart and put it next to Master's feet.

"Thank you, kind Master." She thanked him and he stomped from the room. She was all alone yet again. Then she took off the lingerie and put on her pure white gown. She exited the room and yet again strutted down the hall. She took the time as she walked as a time to relax herself. Her heartbeat regulated as she walked. She reached her room and took a deep breath to collect herself. She walked into the room.

Switzerland jumped at the opening of the door. He sped over to his sister.

"Is everything alright? Are you hurt? What happened?" Always the same questions, with the same brotherly concern lacing his voice.

She smiled a saccharine smile.

"Of course, big bruder. Nothing happened, like always."

* * *

Wow! Last chapter did goood! I'm so happy! :D Did that part make you squirm? I hope so, but I guess some people are more experiences with that. Canada got completely overshadowed by the torture part, I know. I just had to add some tension. I was considering making it sexual torture, but decided against it. I don't think I'll add that, except maybe a bonus chapter. This chapter was particularly long, but I didn't want to rush it or split it in two. That would ruin it. Thank you so much for reading!

Current Reviewer(s):** Nyapoop14, caset290,the Queen of Cookies, and a guest.** (How am I supposed to thank you properly, wonderful guest? XD)


	7. Bunnies and Cruelty

A HEX CHAPTER 7

_Mother's cruel voice commands his every will. Closed blinds remain silent as his fingers tremble on the keys of the piano. _

At this point, America had healed. Mostly. His arm had no ability to flex or move to his will. It hung at his side, limp. If he ever got out of this hell-hole, it would be a miracle to use his right arm again. However, the rest of his body just ached. After the incident, he felt just a bit more _betrayed_, though he had no idea why. He tried his best to push the thoughts from his head. _Those thoughts will work wonders later._

His revolting voice echoed through America's head "Now now, my dear boy, I've almost finished with your arm." How had this happened?

* * *

When they had first been reunited, Italy was as silent as a stone. He didn't even cry. He just clung to Germany's sleeve. His hands had imprinted where he grabbed. He didn't sleep, either. He just laid there, eyes open and no emotion. Perhaps three days after they reunited, Italy began to speak again. It was simple talk, nothing too complicated or relevant.

"I like cats." "Hey, Germany, you're so strong!" "I wish they made cheese graters bigger!"

This worried Germany the most. The voice was hollow, and it seemed something was missing. It must have been his joviality, his sense of joy. His face was also incredibly fair and white. Though that could be explained by Italy's lack of sleep, Germany thought it was more. _Much more._

* * *

_8 days earlier _

Germany sat in the white room. Nothing. Nothing at all had happened. The mysterious room was nothing, _except it was_. He realized that with a start when a door he was sure hadn't been there before, opened. The sudden appearance of a door made him jump. It opened, and in came Italy. He was pale. So, so pale.

"I-Italia?!" Germany sprang to his feet and ran over to his friend. Oddly, Italy made no attempt to cry or cling to Germany. A feeling of dread dwelled in Germany's stomach in response to Italy's alien behavior. Italy slowly lifted his head to meet Germany's eyes. Italy had this desolate, empty look. It was the most revolting thing Germany had ever seen in his life. Once lively Italy was now this empty shell. Had it not been for the lack of food, Germany would've been sick.

"What happened to you, Italy?" It came out as a whisper. Moments, seconds, minutes passed with not a single response, yet somehow it felt like they stood there for much longer. Italy stared for a while before reaching for Germany's sleeve with pasty hands. He wordlessly grabbed the fabric, seemingly entranced in it's cotton touch. Germany collected himself and used his other arm to pull Italy closer to himself. They stood there for awhile, not saying anything. Maybe if he could warm this cold Italy up with a bit of kindness, the life would return to his featherbrained friend. He hoped. _What part of this experience has been hopeful, anyway? This is not some stereotypical Disney movie where the good guys win and have a happily ever after. So why should he have hope?_

* * *

So it was time for the work, Master decided. Canada did want not to do this, clearly. But that's exactly why Master wanted it done by him. He wanted both Canada and America to suffer. The act was inhumane, for both participants. Though less physical pain would be given to America, Canada did not want to be the one doing the torturing, even it was for America's own physical good.

* * *

There was really nothing to do. At all. So England sat there, fiddling with his own thumbs. He was incredibly bored. Occasionally the 3 countries would talk, but in fear of the wrath of Master, none said anything related to the situation, really. What else was there to talk about? They couldn't try to escape. There was this power that Master had, but none could really describe it. It could make you see things. _Horrible things._ It could cause immeasurable pain, without leaving a single mark on your body.

Another anomaly in this place was Liechtenstein. On occasion, she would leave the room. It wasn't consistent, either. Sometimes she would leave for 40 minutes, while other times she would be gone upwards of 5 hours. England didn't know what to make of it. Whenever she was gone, Switzerland would pace. Both of them hypothesized while she was gone. Where she had gone, what she had done, and why. But nothing Liechtenstein said would ever give any clues to anything.

"Oh, nothing."

"Like I said, I just sat in a room."

"Nothing happened!"

And she would always smile. Always.

Though he had no particular reason to distrust Liechtenstein, England could not help but think something else was going on. He wondered how much that little smile was worth. She was always such a sweet, innocent girl.

He remembered how she would always go to his house and help him garden. She would tease him about his "silly eyebrows", and he would pretend to be mad. Then she would puff up when he made fun of her height. On one particular occasion, Liechtenstein had seen some bunnies run into his rose bushes. She reached her hand out to pet it, but it snapped at her and bit her pinky finger. Holding her hand, she asked England if he had any bandages. He nearly had a heart attack when he saw a thin trickle of blood run down her hand.

"Haha, England it's just a cut!" She giggled at his exaggerated reaction.

"Switzerland is going to have my head when he sees you got hurt!"

"No, he won't. It was my fault anyway. The rabbit was a mommy, and she was protecting her babies. I shouldn't have scared it like that."

Everyday after that, much to Switzerland's protest, Liechtenstein would go over to England's house with fresh veggies and give them to the rabbit and her children. The animals were fond of her, and she named every one. The mother was named Rose, and the 3 kits were named Fluff, Dotty, and Spikey. Dotty, a small white bunny with two brown spots, was her favorite. She would always bring an extra tomato just for Dotty. Dotty would rub against Liechtenstein's face and she looked like she would explode in happiness. Dotty would occasionally steal Liechtenstein's basket that she used to bring the fruits. Liechtenstein would usually find in the bushes somewhere.

Whenever England saw that smile, it was like a weight had been lifted from his chest. It was such a pure thing. But now, in this dreadful place, the weight stayed. When she smiled now, there was no such effect. Just muscles forced to make an expression. He could tell Switzerland was unbelieving of the logic as well. Things just didn't add up for either of them. What would be the point of Liechtenstein sitting an empty room? Was it to separate her from her brother? Was it to show he was in control? Whatever it was, he didn't like it. _And he shouldn't._

* * *

I **am so sorry** it took me so long to post this. I wasn't able to have access to a computer for 2 weeks, and then another 2 when I went on trip. And thank you so much for the positive feedback. I'm going to get arrogant with all this praise; you guys are so nice! Tell me who you want to hear from in the next chapter. It helps, really. Again, I'm really sorry about the wait.

Current Reviewer(s): **Nyapoop14, caset290, the Queen of Cookies, Dancing Shadows Alchemist and 3 super awesome sexy guests. **


	8. Nervousness and Nasty Ice Cream

A HEX 8

_The window has broken and the light now shines through. Physically and not so physically. _

He really couldn't help it. Estonia was a very curious country. Though he had been told to disregard his thoughts, he couldn't. There was nothing else to do. Every single one of his thoughts eventually led back to where he was now. And you can't just stop thoughts. Like the waves in the ocean, they will flow, _leaving you helpless to drown. _How had he gotten here? Why was he here? How long had it been?

He thought and thought to no avail. He skipped around his immediate memory, or at least attempted to, in an attempt to avoid another one is_ his _punishments. He didn't know what to call _him._ He thought about it for awhile, but nothing came to mind. It had a name, though. He knew he'd heard the man's name before, but he just didn't know how he knew.

* * *

Canada walked in the empty hall. Master had not given the command to go into America's room yet. As he walked his legs shook uncontrollably, severely anxious. He didn't want to do this.

He didn't want to do this.

He didn't want to do this.

He didn't want to do this.

**He didn't want to do this.**

The thought of hurting his brother made Canada's stomach burn a hole through itself. He wanted to go home. He wanted to leave. He couldn't stand this hell. What type of rancid, twisted person would do this? His head began to pound as the bile in his stomach grew stronger and stronger. _Who knew emotions could be as cruel as Xeh?_

* * *

America had regained sense, at least. He could think clearly, seeing as his vision clearly and he could form complex thoughts. And because of his regained sense, he knew something wasn't right, even by this place's standards. It was like he knew something bad was going to happen, but there was nothing to indicate that he would run into any issues. But he knew. Even so, maybe the torture had just messed with his mind. He was seeing things, anyway. Like right, he saw a plain white hall. But the hall wouldn't stay still. Or rather he wouldn't. It was like he was pacing, but America was still sitting in his room, all alone. _Not for long._

It was a low-lit spring evening. Birds were chirping, wind was gently rustling the trees in a tranquil harmony. In other words, it was pretty boring. America thought this as he stared at his brother shared a tea with England. His brother had dragged him along to some boring-as-fuck "tea ceremony" with England. America had no idea as to why he was here. Like, he could be at Burger King right now. Better yet, he could be at ! Maybe there was one around here! So he went along the a dirt trail, not really paying attention to anything. Hey, a rock! He leaned forward to grab a gleaming silver rock from the beaten track, but stopped at the sight of a squirrel racing towards an oak tree. America smiled, eyes glowing with a childish gleam; he had been looking for a new pet for a while now anyway. He fished some loose sesame seeds from his pocket, hoping to entice the squirrel with a "tasty treat".

"C'mere!

C'mon, I know you want it!"

He waved his hands in a silly motion, trying to entice the squirrel. Turns out that squirrel was not happy squirrel at all.

It launched itself at America's face, claws extended in an attempt to scratch him up pretty badly. His screech of surprise echoed throughout the woods. Canada and England heard his scream and ran to his aid, only to find America completely spazzing out on the floor with a ball of fur on his face. England fell to the floor in laughter while Canada giggled a bit, trying to contain his laughter.

"Help me out, would ya?!" Canada managed to get the squirrel off of America's face, despite the little teeth thrown his way. It ran back off into the woods, never to be seen again. America pouted for awhile before they went out for ice cream, to cheer him up.

Canada got vanilla, England got mint, and America got Strawberry.

"Strawberry is awesome because it's red, like on my flag!" Apparently America wanted more "redness", so he topped the cone with some ketchup. Canada pulled out some maple syrup and drenched the treat with "sweet goodness". England put a scone on top of his treat, complete with sprinkles. At the same time, France walked through the door of the ice cream parlor.

Upon seeing the massacre of food, he promptly left.

* * *

It was so surreal. It was like a bundle of sunflowers were burned in front of his very eyes. All his friends…they were hurting so very much. As one of the most influential people in the world, Russia had never felt so powerless.

* * *

Switzerland looked at the ceiling. It was like being a lab rat. Powerless and trapped, yet left to your own thoughts. It was all very vague.

"Hello, children." Master's voice shocked him into focus. What did that bastard want now?

"As you've been good lately, I've decided to give you the privilege of cleaning my house." Switzerland's eyes opened wide in the realization that he was going somewhere new. And if there were things to clean, there were things to use to escape!

Lily pretended to be surprised along with bruder and England. Though truth be told, Master had already briefed her on this during one of the sessions. However this session has been at least 11 days ago which was rare. Usually Master would pull her in every two of three days, but it had been a long time. Maybe Master had given up. She shot a glance to Switzerland, whose mouth was gaping from the new information.

"Switzy, dear, how would you like to be my delicate little maid and dust? I've got an outfit picked out for your slim figure already!" Switzerland gritted his teeth in fury at the taunts, but kept his mouth shut. He wasn't going to ruin this.

"England you'll sort out the trash for me. I'm sure you'll find many things to hurt yourself with in there, I hope." With that, Master let out a piercing screech, which turned out to be his ear-burning laugh.

"Liechtenstein, as the most promiscuous one here, you'll just be having your regular sessions." Switzerland's fingernails bore through the skin on his hands. Lily's heart dropped, but not from the insult. Any hopes of not being hurt vanished into thin air and she felt like curling up into a ball and crying.

"You children can start in awhile." And with that, Master was gone. Not a sound from the captives, though Switzerland was sweating. England seemed pretty irked by the insult to Lily as well.

_Master was, as usual, vague and teasing._

* * *

Italy truly was a sad person. Of that much, Germany was certain.

_2 days prior_

Italy's condition was worsening. The lack of sleep was corrupting him deeply. It hurt Germany to see his friend in so much pain, even if Italy didn't say it. On occasion, Italy's eyes would well up as if he was seeing some kind of massacre. He was hallucinating and would start yelling. It was accompanied by movements of distress, like Italy was trying to wipe something off of his pure white shirt.

"**ALL THE BLOOD! ALL THE BLOOD! IT'S ALL OVER ME!" **Germany couldn't handle it. So he covered his ears in a childish manor and thought of wurst. But nothing could soothe Italy's pain.

Italy looked at the wall. It was if the wall was moving, but it was kind of like a trick of the eye. Even if he touched it, it wouldn't stop. It just kept spinning.

And spinning.

And spinning.

And spinning.

And spinning.

And spinning.

And spinning.

And spinning, until Italy realized it wasn't going to stop. How much longer could he stay awake? If he closed his eyes even for a second, Master would snatch them up. Snatch them up. Snatch them up like boiled eggs and eat them.

* * *

Hey! I'm not dead, so here we go! How was it? I know I don't tell you too much, but that's kinda the point. All the plot will be filled in, I swear. In the future, not saying when, you'll have this massive "OOOOH" moment and it's gonna feel awesome. Then you'll read it again and have another "OOOOOHHH" moment. Tell me who you want to hear from in the next chapter, it helps me write. I've got so much planned! So excited omg.

Current Reviewer(s): **Nyapoop14, caset290, the Queen of Cookies, Dancing Shadows Alchemist, LeagueOfExtraordianryGentlem en, TheAwesomeFangirl, and 3 beautiful guests.**


	9. Corpse with a Hint of Memories

A Hex Chapter 9

_Boom!_

* * *

_A rotting corpse lies alone. Seems care for this person was slightly…well…neglected._

* * *

Finally, the door opens to America's room. A paralyzing fear runs through Canada's body, as the epitome of horror is finally here.

His legs pull him into the room, where America has already been tied up. America's eyes are wide and wild, knowing trouble is coming. His eyes dart to his brother, who enters the door trembling.

America's eyes widen for a second before relief fills them.

"C-Canada?! I…Man, I'm so glad you're here! Well, uh, not **here**, but you know what I mean. Can ya help me out bro? " He motions to the bindings with his eyes.

Canada clenches his teeth and avoids his brother's eyes. There is a pause.

"Canada? What's wrong?"

You have no idea, Canada thinks to himself. Damn him, Damn him! What person would force a man to torture his family?

A nervous laugh was elicited from America in confusion, followed by a sense of dread.

* * *

Estonia knew his name. It was Xeh! He was absolutely certain of that. _But was it really important?_ How was knowing the name of his captor supposed to help him escape? He remembered the incident, but it was a bit…blurry. Unfocused.

_That does tend to happen in these types of cases. I mean, what would be the fun in knowing these things? That would ruin the tension, and this is a game. Games are made for tension and fun, aren't they? What's so wrong with trying to have a bit of fun?_

* * *

Estonia stared out the window of the private jet. Latvia next to him was fast asleep. They were going to the world conference, like always. Though a bit on the boring side, Estonia didn't mind too much. He was a bit of a boring guy, so meetings weren't that awful. The plane touched down and they exited. Estonia checked out at the front office of the hotel. He liked hotels. They were so clean and new. It was nice.

The conference was the same as normal. America went on and on about penguins, though nobody thought the ideas he had were that great. It was something about giving them all coats so that they didn't get cold. Estonia himself found the idea somewhat amusing. Not much was productive. Most people left the conference, but a few were left.

"Anyone else hungry? I could use a bite or ten!" America exclaimed. Now that he mentioned it, Estonia was sort of hungry. He hadn't eaten since early that day.

"Yeah man, I'm hungry too!" Prussia was also hungry, so it seemed.

"Is all you think about food? You **must** have hamburgers for brains!" England rolled his eyes.

Eventually 11 countries decided to find something to eat. Before they reached anywhere, China received a phone call and ran off shouting something about Korea being stuck again. No idea what that was about.

They approached a Burger King, but were stopped by a closed sign. How odd.

* * *

And that was the last he could remember. The memory abruptly stopped. It was kind of like an old film that had been ripped, and now was replaced by a plain, twitchy black screen. The only thing that stuck out was "Xeh". He spent the rest of his days being bored, trying to think of a plan to escape. There had been one thing he had thought of, though it was impossible to carry out.

The idea was to try to break down one of the pure white walls surrounding him. He would ram into a wall with all his might, and maybe it would fall down. It was a simple plan, but there was much thought in it. If there was no hint of any exit, then how could he have gotten here? There must be some sort of hidden door! _In reality, it's much more complex and humorous than that, dear. You must not be that smart, Estonia._

* * *

Italy watched the floor. The obnoxiously white floor has not yet changed color. Waiting in anxiousness, he felt somewhat empty. Is this why he was here?

_It's black for a while. I crane my head and look for something or somewhere to go to. I can't remember what I was doing, but I'm here now. After making a full turn, I see a rectangular light. It seems to be a television screen. As I walk toward it, I hear some type of "wet" noise. It was like stepping in puddles. I don't bother to look down, as I'm feeling a bit weary and would rather just get to the light. I'm walking._

_Walking._

_Walking._

_Walking._

_Walking. _

_I'm almost there. Though this is good news, I really don't feel happy. In fact, I feel worse. But oh well, I'm almost there. As I approach the light, the puddles continue to get louder and louder. I've finally reached the light. I lean forward to touch the glaringly bright light, reaching my arm out. My index finger is extended. I touch it and my heart beats furiously. My world stops and I whirl around. Leading up to the screen is a trail of footsteps coated in scarlet blood. I look to my feet, blood freely dripping beneath them into an abyss I was somehow floating over . I can't breathe. I try to breathe, but it feels like I'm being choked. _

_Panic. So much fear. I'm going to die just like the rest of them, aren't I? _

_I scream._

* * *

Germany felt relieved. Italy finally fell asleep. He stared at the wall, and Italy's long breaths made the only sound in the room. For once, the quiet air was peaceful._ Not for long._

It was an artificial calm. Germany knew it couldn't last, but maybe things would be a bit better after Italy had some well-needed sleep. He thought about what could've happened to Italy, but anytime Germany tried to ask, his friend shook his head and didn't respond. He once tried persisting in the information, but Italy would start crying and was hysterics for a long time, so he didn't try that again.

He looked down at the face of Italy resting on his thigh. His face was so pale and soft, Germany wanted to hold his so close, but couldn't pull him up for fear of breaking his frail body. The sleeping Italy suddenly got a look of fear, arms naturally clutching Germany's waist. His moist hands tightly grabbed the cotton of Germany's white shirt.

_Oh no…_Germany thought. Why of all places was Italy haunted even in his dreams? Couldn't God or whatever made things work just give Italy a break? Why was it him that had to suffer?! "Why couldn't it be me instead?!"

* * *

A choked scream released Italy from his sleep. Crying lasted for at least 45 minutes after Italy awoke from his nightmare.

"G-Germany….Germany, wh-why does it have to be like this? I-"

Sobbing. "I'm so scared! We-" Gasping

"We're g-gonna be taken by him! I-"

He was cut off by an embrace. Germany wrapped his arms around Italy, not knowing what to do. Italy laid his face into Germany's warm shoulder and cried.

The words that flowed from Germany's mouth made no sense in Italy's hysterics until he said "I will always protect you, Italy. Please don't cry anymore."

And then there was silence as he registered the words, letting them soak into him like a sponge absorbing water. And then there was a silence.

"I'm sorry I'm so weak Doitsu."

"You're not weak." Neither of them slept that night. Or day. Whatever time it was, they didn't sleep.

* * *

Hey everyone! Next chapter I'll stop teasing you and have the America/Canada thing, don't worry! I've just been so busy with school that I haven't be able to write as frequently as I want, so I make sure the quality as is good as I can get it. I've got all the plots worked out and intertwined now, so that's good, right? Thanks for reading, as always!

Current Reviewer(s): **Nyapoop14, caset290, the Queen of Cookies, Dancing Shadows Alchemist, LeagueOfExtraordianryGentlem en, TheAwesomeFangirl, BlakKillerKat, ManifestDoom, and 3 guests with nice butts.**


	10. Flags and Losses

A Hex Chapter 10

_It was rather quick, but who knew their lives would be changed so much that night?_

* * *

Canada grabbed his whip from the back of his white utility belt. Hands still quivering, he looked his brother in the eye. He was trying to say "I'm so sorry", but wasn't sure if his brother got the message. Master hadn't allowed him to say anything to America or speak at all.

"Y-You're going to use that….. to cut me down from here, r-r-right?" Even America didn't believe his guess deep down, as he seemed to be smiling in a rather unstable fashion. _Denial won't help you._

He was proved wrong by the whip making quick contact with his useless right arm. America flinched and a tear fell from his closed eyes.

"I did it. I hurt him. I hurt my own brother. " Canada thought. His thoughts filled were numb whisperings. He couldn't help but remember the War of 1812, a horrible time in their relationship.

* * *

_It had been after the American Revolution. For one reason or another, they were fighting. England and he had snuck into America's homeland. England had given him the honor of burning it. And by it, he meant the White House, America's capital building. As he lit one of the matches, he thought of how proud Big Brother England must be of him. America had been quick to arrive to the site of the crime. When he arrived, England and Canada stood there in pride. _

"_Hello, Independent Nation." England said, mocking him. "Your brother and I have decided to punish you for your wrongdoings."_

_Canada shivered in excitement, Big Brother England was so proud of him! As he thought this, America stood, frozen and silent, staring in disbelief. The flames behind him grew larger and larger. _

"_In fact, Canada here was the one who started it!" England smirked. That caused America to break his vow of silence._

"_Why, brother?" Realization struck Canada like lightning. He had been so proud of himself….for doing THIS?!_

* * *

He thought once more, knowing America couldn't hear his thoughts: "I'm so sorry."

"Bro…I think you missed by just a bit. Try a little further over and you'll be able to ge-" America broke off, eyes still closed in fear. If he opened his eyes, this might be real. If he closed his eyes, it's all a dream. A phantasmagoric horror. All a fake. _Right? _

Canada clenched his teeth, and grabbed a hammer from the belt. It was white, like everything else in this wretched place.

I'm so sorry.

With the hammer in his hand, he looked at his brother. He raised the hammer, ready to strike. The hammer came down upon America's left shin. The crunch of the bone was sickening. Canada absolutely would have been sick if he had anything to vomit up. Yet, America didn't even whimper. However, his face contorted in pain as his leg pounded furiously.

I'm so, so, so sorry.

He pulled a knife from the pack. Gripping the handle, his fingers turn white from lack of oxygen. This was by far the worst part.

He slashed. Again and again and again and again and again, as instructed.

I'm so, so, sorry. Please forgive me.

With each cut, America recoiled, gritting his teeth, eyes still closed. America's expression was full of anguish and pain. He was unable to keep his eyes closed any longer and they flew open.

At first, things were blurry, and he looked down at the source of the pain.

A large, bruising maple leaf was carved on America's chest. America's pale skin and the blood formed the Canadian national colors, red and white.

I'm so sorry.

"Why, Canada?" He looked to his brother, who was standing stiffly staring and glaring at the floor. The floor was now stained with dark red splatters. And with that question, America fell unconscious.

As Canada realized the question, the full weight of what he just did hit him. America would always have this horrible reminder of a scar to remind him of his terrible, treacherous, blood-thirsty, awful, rat-bastard, undeserving brother. _If he survived_

"**WHY?!" ** Canada collapsed to the floor in hysterics.

"**DAMN IT! DAMN IT! DAMN IT!" **

"**i'M sO soRRy!"** He beat his hands against the not-so-white floor**. **

"**I'M SUCH AN AWFUL PERSON. I'M SORRY, AMERICA! I-I didn't want h-him to kill you and NOW I'M HURTING YOU! I'M SO SORRY!" **

He hadn't realized the fracture in his arm, and continued to bludgeon the floor.

"**DAMN IT! I'M SO SORRY!"**

"**DON'T EVEN FORGIVE ME, I DON'T DESERVE IT!"**

There was no response from America, who breathing only shallow breaths.

"That's enough, Canada. We don't want an unruly specimen like yourself hurting little America anymore, do we?" Master laughed in that annoying tone of voice he always used to mock.

Master's voice directed him from the room, where he left everything, including America himself. He dragged himself from the room, heart soaking wet in guilt.

* * *

As expected, Italy hadn't slept. But as a positive, things were getting better. Italy promised that was going to try to sleep next time he felt tired, as long as Germany stayed right by him. How brave, Germany thought. He was glad Italy was getting better about things. Maybe that emotional release was making things better.

It still bothered him, however. What had made Italy like that in the first place? He wished someone besides Italy was here to help and think. As he realized what that meant, that someone else would be here, he cursed himself. He didn't want anyone else to be hurt like Italy.

**At that moment, everyone in captivity heard the voice of Xeh. **

"Hello, children. I'm speaking to all of 9 you right now, by the way."

Switzerland froze. There were nine of us?! He exchanged looks of fear with Lily and England. England looked terrified.

"Ten of you entered my lovely home 9 months ago."

Germany's eyes widened. Does that mean someone….escaped?!

"One of you has died."

Lily gaped in horror. Master hadn't told her someone had died! Switzerland scrambled to his feet in panic and ran over to her, checking her pulse and making sure she was alive. When he realized she was fine, he looked over to the only other person in their room, England. England hadn't moved a bit, and was stuck in his own thoughts.

"Do you want to know who it is?"

Germany tried to calm Italy down. It seemed Italy was having a panic attack, including massive air intake. Hoarse breathing couldn't be stopped, however Germany tried.

"I'll give you a hint."

Russia had never seen a country die. Roman Empire disappeared, but he never died. The prospect of one of his dear friends dying sent a shiver though his spine.

"The people who entered my room are"

"**Estonia"**

Absolute silence in every room. Russia quivered. Estonia mustn't be dead.

"**England"** Canada was too numb from the earlier events to react to his friend's presence.

"**America"** England's harsh breath turned into him crying, cursing god for everything, and realizing America was probably dead, judging from the torture vision from a few months ago. America….his friend…was dead? _Was he?_

Switzerland let Liechtenstein try to comfort England. When she reached out to comfort him with a delicate hand, he swatted it away. America couldn't be dead. He couldn't. One of the strongest countries in the world couldn't be POOF, dead, just like that, could he?

_Because he was a country, he didn't need food or water to survive, but he could die from physical trauma._

At the mention of America, Italy flinched, as if the name America brought back repressed memories.

"**Canada" **England looked up at the ceiling. Master couldn't just take these important people away from him. This wasn't happening.

"**Switzerland"** As Liechtenstein heard her brother's name, she remembered her vow to Master.

"**Liechtenstein" **Germany shivered. What monster would take such a sweet girl? Italy seemed particularly irked about this name as well.

"**Russia" **Estonia sat in shock. Russia was strong. There was no way he was dead.

"**Germany" **Lily couldn't imagine big, strong Germany being held as a captive, but she knew Master wasn't lying.

"**Italy" **As he heard his own name, Italy twitched. Germany held him closer to his chest. The very voice of his captor seemed to frighten Italy. _As it should._

"**And Prussia." **Prussia?! Germany took a short moment to consider his captor's words, before putting his hands on his face, heart racing. He felt weak-headed. Sadness, fury, and just completely dizzy.

"You cannot be dead, Prussia."

**"Have a nice afternoon, my children."**

Someone was smirking behind that microphone that projected into the minds of others.

* * *

This one got posted fast, huh? I wanted to make up for all the slow updates, so I posted another. Poor everyone! ;.; Just...all my sads, man.

No longer posting chapters to my deviantart, btw. They just don't get any response over there, and I really like at least something as a response to my chapters, be it following, comments, favorites or whatever. **All chapters will posted here, so don't worry. **Thanks so much for reading!

Current Reviewer(s): **Nyapoop14, caset290, the Queen of Cookies, Dancing Shadows Alchemist, LeagueOfExtraordianryGentlem en, TheAwesomeFangirl, BlakKillerKat, ManifestDoom, and 3 guests with sexy toes. (I'm running out of good compliments, ok?! XD)**


	11. Warmth of the Sun and Sand

Oye! How's it going, all of you? This one took a bit longer to write, but the next chapter is going to have some major plot points you may want to take note of. I've decided to move the author notes up here, so as not to ruin the emotion at the end of chapters. How was it? I hope you enjoy this chapter, even if it is a bit shorter than the others.

Current Reviewer(s): **HetaPastaH3ro,** **Nyapoop14, caset290, the Queen of Cookies, Dancing Shadows Alchemist, LeagueOfExtraordianryGentlem en, TheAwesomeFangirl, BlakKillerKat, ManifestDoom, and 3 guests with pizza hearts.**

* * *

**A Hex Chapter 11**

_He looked at the paper, dull. His eyes scanned over the words, finding nothing worth noting._

* * *

The announcement left the countries in shock. Someone was dead, they knew. But who was it? Germany stared at the floor, trying to come up with a way to rescue his brother, who most certainly couldn't be dead. Images of his brother flooded his mind.

* * *

_They were at the beach. Prussia was trying to figure out how to get an umbrella to open, stubbornly refusing Austria's help._

"_Ngh. An umbrella like this is nothing for my super awesome beam!" _

_Hungary seemed to find this humorous, as she giggled and hit him over the head with her frying pan. Germany couldn't help but feel like he really did deserve that._

_By the time he woke up, they had already covered him in sand, sans his head._

* * *

_Gilbird and Prussia were fighting. Evidently Prussia had given the little yellow bird the lizard food, rather than bird food. _

"_C'mon! I need to you send this awesome letter, Gilbird!"_

_When the bird looked away in anger(?), Prussia sighed._

"_It's not that bad, see?" He grabbed a handful of lizard food and shoved it in his mouth. Germany nearly smacked him for being so stupid._

* * *

"Italy, dearie, I have a job for you. Leave the room." Master's voice boomed. Italy froze, then nodded solemnly, as if in a trance. Germany's head shot up to look at the standing Italy, whose eyes were nearly lifeless.

"Why does Italy have to leave?!" Germany shouted to the ceiling, not knowing where to direct his voice.

"Shut up, you little fly! I should swat you like the pest you are!" An obnoxious snort signaled Italy's exit.

Looking up at the ceiling, Italy thought

"I just want to get out of here".

* * *

Estonia just wanted to leave. He wanted to smell things. He wanted to feel the heat of the sun on his skin. He wanted to talk with someone. He wanted to eat some tuna fish. He wanted Lithuania to lecture him about how his breath smelled. Come to think of it, he wondered what the other countries were doing. He could remember everything now. The list had sparked his memories, and now he looked for any hint that might help him escape. He replayed the scenes over and over in his head.

* * *

_They were heading downtown, buffeted by ice cold winds. It was especially cold for a day in mid-summer._

"_I really wish I had brought my scarf." Liechtenstein shivered, signaling Switzerland to, of course, take off his jacket and drape it over Liechtenstein's puny shoulders. She smiled a thank-you to Switzerland, who blushed. That was pretty cute, Estonia thought to himself._

_Man, I forgot what day this was! Estonia scratched his head, thinking about how he had to go to brunch with some world leaders on the 3__rd__ of August. Then it hit him. July 28__th__. How could he forget such a day?_

_July 28__th__ was the start of the biggest one wars in the history of mankind, World War I. _

_So many people died during those hard years. _

_Estonia shook his head shake off the thoughts and pulled closer to the group._

* * *

"That's right! That has to be significant! We were captured on the date World War I started!" Estonia hadn't realized that he was now shouting, a bit of a bad habit he had when he got excited. _Bad move, Estonia._

The lightning pain came down upon his spine and he blacked out.

* * *

It was time for their first "day" at work, as Master had decided. England was called out of the room, just as Liechtenstein had been 2 hours earlier. He was walking….walking.

He thought it quite peculiar. Sorting out trash didn't really seem like that bad of a punishment. It was probably a lie. Like America being dead. America couldn't be dead.

The hallway was long. It didn't really get closer towards the end, but he was out of that room, right? _Not really. _

Sure enough, he got there and stood in front of the white door. There was no handle, but he could still push it on the side opposite to the hinges.

He warily took a step into the empty room. There was one hole on the ceiling. It was about 2 feet wide and long. There were two more identical square holes on the floor, about 4 feet apart from each other, same size. He had the urge to jump down them to see where they led, but Switzerland and he had agreed to report their findings before trying to make an escape. Yet still, the want to see where those holes led was horribly strong. Lost in thought, he didn't realize the door had silently shut behind him. He was shocked from his thoughts when Xeh voiced his commands.

"Hello, child."

He turned his attention to his bare feet, where the pale toes squirmed in anxiety.

"In about 3 minutes, trash will fall from the ceiling. Put the cans in the right hole and the glass in the second hole. If that measly task is done with mediocrity, I will make your own screams deafen you in the most painful way possible. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Master." Shivering, he nodded, though he had no idea is anyone could see him.

Soon after, a tin can fell from the first hole.

* * *

Shortly after the announcement, Russia decided that the Mr. Mystery-Man was lying. Nobody was dead and he was a big liar. In fact, the only one here was Russia and Russia alone.

As he numbly stared at the wall, he heard a soft _click_ from behind him. Turning around, he saw what he presumed was a door, as it was rectangular.

Russia wasn't really fond of doors. They were always so small, so he had to duck to get in the room.

But this particular door seemed large enough to accommodate his stature. He pushed onto the white surface to (unfortunately) reveal some familiar faces.

* * *

"I'm sorry, Switzerland, but I forgot your maid outfit. Can you ever forgive me?"

Figuring that it was a rhetorical question, he didn't bother responding to the taunt. England left about 30 minutes ago, so it was now apparently his turn to be mocked. Yippie. The door popped open, signaling that he left the room.

With a look of shock, Liechtenstein bounced up from her sitting place and ran over to him. She stared into his eyes with something that he couldn't identify. Something knowing, but also innocent. She wanted to say something, but restrained herself and bit her lip.

Wrapping her arms around his waist, she actually squeezed him quite hard. He placed his head on top of hers and whispered:

"I love you, okay? Don't forget that."

"I won't, Bruder." Without another word, he left the room. Lily released her breath and slid to the floor against the wall, misery shrouding her. As soon as she released that air, more came in and filled her lungs. As if my magic, all her strength and fortitude was gone. It was impossible to be strong anymore. She crumpled onto the floor and began to weep, with her arms wrapped around herself. She cried more and more, but she couldn't stop from releasing her sadness. The salty tears burned her delicate skin. Now alone, she formed a small puddle of inconsolable sorrow.

_A small girl relocating her grief in the only way she can. It really is cruel, isn't it?_


	12. Screening the Daisies

I haven't updated. I am a bad person. I am sorry. OTL. Please forgive me, lovely readers. I've had alot on my plate lately, but you shouldn't have to be punished for that.

On a brighter note, I have (pompously) decided reviews are mandatory :D MWAHAHAHAHAH

I've actually done alot of reading lately, which I hope will help me write from better points of view, and make the story more easy to understand, and keep it compelling.

In apology for not updating more recently, I have decided to explain one mystery in the next chapter, even though I didn't plan to so early. But I figure I have a few more that I can reveal later on, and I really should throw you guys a bone. You deserve it for being so patient.

Thanks so much for the support, everybody! I really do appreciate it.

Current Reviewer(s):** DeathThePanda, Hinagiku Flower, HetaPastaH3ro,** **Nyapoop14, caset290, the Queen of Cookies, Dancing Shadows Alchemist, LeagueOfExtraordianryGentlem en, TheAwesomeFangirl, BlakKillerKat, ManifestDoom, and 3 guests with dolphins of destiny.**

* * *

**A Hex Chapter 12**

_Denial is the first stage of grief._

The sixty-ninth object fell from the ceiling. Things really were speeding up. If they got any faster, England might be cut by one of the sharp things in haste. The edges were ragged, but clean, so there was a reduced probability of getting infected. Nonetheless, he didn't want to endanger himself.

Then, two objects fell. The first fell into his field of vision. The second did not. Instead, as England reached for the clear piece of shattered glass, the lid of a tin can sliced his forehead open.

"Tch!" England winced as a thin line of blood rolled down his nose. His hand went instinctively to his forehead, but refocused on the task and warily placed the tin in the hole to the right of him.

By the time the trash stopped falling, England had several gashes on his arms and legs. They bled quickly, soiling his once-white clothes. His heart pounded prominently. The loss of blood made his head spin a bit. He even had to wrap a particularly nasty slice on his upper left arm with a strip of his shirt.

Despite the injuries, England was somewhat pleased with himself. Underneath his armpit was a large piece of glass with a dull side that rested against his skin. Now he had a weapon and a tool.

It seemed Master did not mind (or notice), and the door opened and England left the room. However, while he expected the hallway he had come from, he was shocked with another room filled with familiar faces. _Do not be fooled by what you see._

* * *

Plucking the 4th nail from her left hand's palm, Liechtenstein kept her facial expression neutral, except for the teeth sinking into her lower lip.

Its rusted edges were quite the hassle; nails were very difficult to remove, as she couldn't get them out without inflicting more pain. To add to that, both hands were soaked in her own blood, making it difficult to grasp the slippery object. With one last agonizing tug, it came out.

There was a soft "clink" as the nail fell to the ground. They were all gone now. A shaky right hand grasped the white fork. She retrained from letting out a sigh of relief. Master roughly snatched the fork from her, and with that, he was gone.

Take off lingerie.

Put on regular clothes.

Gently stretch the stiff limbs.

As the normal routine continued, she felt nothing of substance. All that existed in this place was sadness, pain, and dull monotony. Despite this, she was jolted out of that mindset when something new happened. What she saw when she opened the door was different, and she took a uncertain step into an unexpected room, rather than the hallway she grown used to going down.

* * *

It had been about 3 hours since Italy had left. Generally, Germany had a detached, controlled exterior, but now Germany's thoughts were crowded, panicked. He thought of Italy, but at the same time, he thought of Prussia. Who was dead? _You know the answer to that. _He paced around the interior of the unfurnished white room. This time when reached the end of the room and turned around, he could see a black rectangle at the end of the room. He gritted his teeth and walked forward. As he approached, an image flashed across the screen.

Suddenly, Germany was dizzy. _Stress does that to people. _His legs gave way.

_The world was swirling. As it slowed down, the door opened and a smiling Italy stepped into the room, bowl of pasta in his hands, coated in a delicious looking marinara sauce. The sauce seemed to be a rich red, with oregano gently gracing the top. He tried greeting his friend, but found himself unable to speak. He lifted his fingers to his mouth, and felt rough stitches affirming his lips shut. A cold shiver ran down his spine, and looked up to Italy, whose pasta was no longer present. On the contrary, as he was now crying and wearing a black suit. In Italy's hands was a picture of Prussia's rotting corpse. Powerless._

When Germany awoke, a worried pair of red eyes was staring back at him. He jumped back in surprise, accidentally head-butting his red-eyed brother in the process.

"Ouch! That hurt, Luddy!" Germany stared at his brother, speechless.

"What? Do I have a zit r' something? Ah, who am I kidding, my awesome skin couldn't be blemished by anything uncool like that!" Prussia's arrogant laugh was cut short by Germany's strong embrace. Germany noted an oddity. Prussia usually smelled of daisies (much to his disdain), but this place evidently took the smell away from him. No scent emanated from his brother's skin.

"I…I was worried about you… brother..." Even after all the years, Prussia was still his older brother. _He was always Germany's brother. _

The embarrassed albino patted the taller man's head and pushed him off. "You're ruining my cool manly-ness! Say, do you know where we are anyway?"

"No."

"Well darn. Let's get out of here, then."

Germany smiled at the antics. He missed those too. More than that, he couldn't believe Prussia was there at all. But there he was, right in front of his eyes, plain to see.

* * *

When Estonia awoke, there were two main differences in his situation. Firstly, the room was significantly smaller. What had been the size of a living room was now the size of a regular bedroom. Luckily for him, Estonia had gotten rid of his claustrophobic tendencies a few years ago. He found the reasoning behind this change rather easily. Purely for the effect of unnerving him with a smaller working space, the captor hoped to derail his train of thought. This would make Estonia nervous by "boxing" him in a smaller, crowded spot, which would, in theory, defocus him. It was simple psychology and Estonia was determined not to let the mind games get to him.

The second change was his apparel. Upon self-inspection, Estonia found his clothes to no longer be white, but black. Oddly enough, this was more unnerving than the room change. This change was eerie, as he could find no logical reason behind it, other than to throw Estonia off. In addition, when he thought about how it must've happened, he realized with a shudder that a demented stranger had touched his naked body and there was absolutely nothing he could've done about it. The thought made him feel uneasy, insecure, and powerless.

It made him question Xeh's motives, as well. Why didn't he just kill his captives? It would have been very simple for him to have killed Estonia and the other countries, seeing as he had the ability to do so in a number of ways. The answer, while simple, was difficult to think about.

The only reason he kept them alive was to make them suffer.


	13. That's What Friends Do

I purposefully made this part simple in the beginning to show Italy's innocence and simplicty. And this chapter is a long one, so put your reading caps on! Other than that, I don't have much to say. This is longer and what I hope is good, so I hope many people will read it!

Remember to review! Also bring me a bag of lemons. I'm feeling tangy and acidic!

Current Reviewer(s):** DeathThePanda, Hinagiku Flower, HetaPastaH3ro,** **Nyapoop14, caset290, the Queen of Cookies, Dancing Shadows Alchemist, LeagueOfExtraordianryGentlem en, TheAwesomeFangirl, BlakKillerKat, ManifestDoom, Why (guest), and 3 guests who are filled with cotton candy.**

* * *

A Hex Chapter 13

_He screams, but nobody is around to hear it._

* * *

**3 months prior**

Italy stared at the ceiling. It was cold here. And really scary too. And he's hungry. And lonely. There's nobody to talk to.

His stomach growled. He sniffled. It was cold.

"Hello, Itallllllly~" A voice suddenly came out of nowhere. He doesn't realize it, but the voice is taunting him.

"I surrender!" Italy cowered on instinct, as he had done so many times in the past.

"I'm just here to have a nice conversation."

A naïve Italy brightened, happy to hear any kind of friendly sound.

"Do you have any pasta?"

"No." The voice is sharp and curt, but Italy failed to hear it.

"Oh…" Italy frowned, but then his face lit up in joy.

"That's okay! Do you want to be friends?"

There was a long silence. Italy failed to notice a door

"Yes. Want me to show you something?"

"Sure!"

"Turn around and go into the next door."

Italy turned around and saw the exit. He went to it cautiously, as something about that door not being there before stuck him as odd. Nonetheless, he pushed the white door.

The room was exactly the same as the last. Confused, Italy looked around.

As he turned around, a blunt force propelled into the side of his head. He staggered away. The world split into two and he cried out in pain and shock. Another hit made the world grow black and he fell into the splitting world.

The last thing he heard was "What I have to show you is super fun, _friend"_ Italy did not miss the venomous undertone this time.

* * *

When he awoke, he was sitting in a white chair. He was also strapped to it, as restraints on his neck, abdomen, wrists, and ankles kept him anchored to the seat. He tried to struggle to no avail. The chair nor the restraints budged. He began to cry genuine tears as his head pounded. It didn't help that his head was also unable to move, but instead was stuck straight ahead, where a screen of some sort was black.

The blood in Italy's body flowed quickly, and his heart raced. His fingers were itchy, but he could not manage to scratch them under the stiff and unwilling ties that bound him. He began to bawl and writhe. The tears were uncomfortable, sticking to his cheeks.

"Hello, friend."

"W-What's going ooooooonnnn?!" Italy whined.

In a loud, frustrated tone, the voice boomed "**I ALREADY TOLD YOU**." A ferocious, electric pain raced through his body, though Italy was not hooked up to any machines or technology.

"**I'M SORRY! PLEASE FORGIVE ME! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!" **Italy's mantra repeated in a quivering manner. His choked voice was scratching and horrible. And with that, the pain was gone.

"Well, you stupid twit, I was going to show you some things, before you so **rudely **fainted."

Italy said nothing, but was still shaking panic.

"So pay close attention."

A bright flash turned the screen in front of him on. Italy winced as his eyes burned slightly, but focused.

The film was grainy, but still very viewable. It was a picture of a room exactly like his own, except for two main differences. One, there were no chair or screen. Two, there was nobody there. Then, a girl walked in. Italy instantly recognized who she was. It was Liechtenstein! The smaller country looked around nervously as she timidly walked in. Her garb was different than he had seen her wear before, and was a simplistic white dress.

Italy knew the girl well enough. They hadn't interacted much, but she had never done anything to him that was bad, so he had a positive opinion of her.

* * *

_They once shared some savory pudding during a world meeting. Italy believed it was vanilla, but it was such a long time ago that he couldn't recall the all specifics with accuracy. It was during China's presentation, which had long since turned to rambling. He was staring out the window. The skies were a calming color of purple which soon soothed Italy to…a…very….deep…slee….._

_He was awakened suddenly by a spoon smacking him on the forehead. Before he could start babbling about surrender, Germany clamped a hand over his mouth, and tilted his head towards Liechtenstein. Liechtenstein put her finger over her mouth, a silent plea for his silence. Evidently while trying to open a stubborn label off of her secret lunch (Eating during a meeting was generally considered rude, not that America cared.) , her spoon had flown from her hand and onto his head, at which point Germany intervened to keep the calm in the room. _

"_Sorry." Liechtenstein mouthed to him._

"_It's okay!" Italy mouthed back and smiled, not really mad about a bump on the head. _

_They continued to look at each other for a small bit until Italy asked if she had any extras. She didn't, but she (secretly) shared anyways._

* * *

The screen abruptly went black after she walked in. The transition was choppy and rough. Obviously, it wasn't a professionally made movie. It flickered back to life a second later. The video footage from earlier was nowhere like this one, which was high-quality and detailed. The video footage from earlier was nowhere like this one, which was high-quality and detailed. Italy nearly vomited at the sight presented before him.

Liechtenstein was in strings. She wore a revealing blouse and underwear that was in tatters. She hung limp from the ceiling, tied from white ropes. There was a knife deeply stuck into her upper thigh, and the fingers on her left hand were thoroughly mangled and broken. Her body would occasionally quiver, and Italy swore he could see small teardrops falling from her delicate chin. Occasionally, she would shiver. Or maybe it was her body shaking itself. In front of her was a man whose face he couldn't see, wearing a black trenchcoat. In his hand was another knife.

"**LET HER GO! LET HER GO RIGHT NOW! RIGHT NOW!" ** Italy hollered at nobody. There was no response, and it didn't even look like the torturer heard his words, but that only made Italy yell louder.

"**YOU LET HER GO NOW! NOW! LET HER GO! STOP HURTING HER! SHE'S A NICE PERSON! STOP! LET HER GO!" **Italy's howls remained unanswered.

He raised the knife

Ever

So

Slowly.

"**NO! PLEASE!"**

The voice laughed at his pleas in some sort of high-pitched laugh. Liechtenstein gave no indication that she heard either of them, not that she really could in the state she was in.

With a certain swiftness, the awful man plunged the sharpened blade into her lower right thigh.

"**NOOOOOOO!" **Italy's voice cracked into a fit of rough coughs.

The film cut off again. Then it flickered on again.

Liechtenstein was still wearing the ripped lingerie, but now her injuries were healed! Hope surged through Italy's heart, which plummeted a minute later. The injuries she received couldn't be healed that easily, so this footage had to be BEFORE the torture. As if to prove him wrong, the screen zoomed into knives covered in blood, and the blood-soaked floor. What? That doesn't make sense. How could she not be hurt after being STABBED. Not to mention by those monstrous, sharp-edged knives.

Liechtenstein got up slowly, still shaking. Though she certainly wasn't stable, she seemed to be having minimal trouble getting up from the floor, which was still splattered with her blood. The film cut off again. This time it didn't flicker back on. Italy's eyes pooled with tears that had been suspended during his rare breakdown.

Italy hadn't noticed his hands naturally covering his face, the restraints gone from them.

"Now clean it up." The voice instructed him. He barely heard the instructions before the electricity caused him to fall from his chair and writhe in pain. Curled into a ball, Italy laid in a sweaty twitchy ball until he agreed to wipe the blood from the room.

His shaky legs brought him to the door, and then to a rather long hallway. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Italy's feet tapped down the hall. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. The scene of the cruel blade being driven into Liechtenstein's leg, flashed to his mind even though he was trying to wipe the memory from his mind. Hiccups wracked his body. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

…

Italy tripped on his own feet, and landed on his face. He paused for a second on the floor before pushing himself up from the ground. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. At last, he arrived at the opposite door and, with hesitance, opened it.

He entered and sank into the puddle of scarlet blood adulterating the pure white floor. He didn't bother to catch his balance, and slammed flat into the wetness beneath him. His face was coated in her suffering. He grasped it with shaky hands. The realness of the liquid was too much. Even worse was that it was so very cold.

"I'm sorry I couldn't help you, Liechtenstein."

With an empty expression, he began to mop up her blood.

* * *

This was the 83rd torturing. Italy finished the job promptly, and left the room. The hallway seemed shorter than usual. A dull observation was not vocalized. He stopped trying to halt the senseless hurt long ago, but failed every time and eventually quit.

That was all it was. All there was to life. Watching an innocent girl endure horrible cruelty, then cleaning up after the mess.

When he reached his room, he went in and sat in his chair. Soon after, he fell asleep. As expected, he was tied up when he awoke. He looked at the screen drearily, expecting it to flicker to life any second now. But what came on was nowhere near normal. On the screen was not Liechtenstein, but America! His limbs were skewed in awkward, terrifying positions, and his right arm was destroyed. And by destroyed, it was obliterated, horribly disfigured. He was mainly on his back, which redness seemed to be seeping from. America was host to a gory scene. Italy was very glad he didn't have to see this one.

One thing, however, was like usual. Blood was under the person, and Italy would probably have to clean it.

The tape cut off, and Italy waited for another to play, showing America heal. Realization dawned on him that America was not a target of the recovering process. Whatever Master used to heal Liechtenstein was not being done to America. America would have to heal himself from his vomit-inducing injuries.

At that moment, Italy realized the cruelty did not end with Liechtenstein. At that moment, he realized he had no idea who or how many other countries were here. At that moment, he realized his close friends and family could be here. At that moment, he realized Austria and Hungary could be here. At that moment, he realized his twin, Romano, could be here. At that moment, he realized Germany could be here. At that moment, he realized he truly wanted to die.

* * *

This had to be the hundredth time he had done this. After that single time with America, Italy had lost count of the amount of times he had cleaned. He had seen America once, but that was it. He was not sure if he was dead, as he was breathing when Italy saw him. After that, there had been no word of him from Master, not that he was told these things anyway.

However, today was different. Italy had been instructed to bathe. Italy really didn't bother to think into what this meant. Usually the blood was sticky and itchy, but Italy really didn't feel annoyed by it. Actually, he didn't feel at all these days.

He poured a clear bucket of ice-cold water over himself and cleaned himself. Oddly enough, he had also been given a new shirt and pants. Both, of course, were a pure white.

"Are you done yet, _friend?"_ Even the use of friend didn't stir any emotions, as it initially did. In the beginning, Master had mocked Italy for what an idiot he was, how weak he was, and how nobody would ever _actually_ be his friend, occasionally making him breakdown and sob, which Master would also taunt him about.

"Hurry up and leave the room. There you will find Germany." Germany! Italy looked up slowly, but the numbness of the situation dulled his emotions.

"If you speak a word of this to him, I will not hesitate take him and torture him to death, got it?"

"Yes, Master."

He left the room and walked over to the room.

Italy looked at the door. It was like any other. It was white and rectangular.

He wasn't sure if he still wanted to die.


End file.
